Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star
flag officerA flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
, which is equivalent to
lieutenant generalLieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a
rear admiralRear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
and junior to an
admiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
. In many navies, vice admiral is a three-star rank with a NATO Code of OF-8, although in some navies like the
French NavyThe French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
it is an OF-7 rank, the OF-8 code corresponding to the four-star rank of
squadron vice-admiralSquadron vice-admiral is an Anglicisation of a naval rank found in some navies of the world. The squadron vice-admiral, which could also be accurately translated as fleet vice-admiral, leads a squadron and is typically senior to a vice-admiral and junior to an admiral.This anglicisation is not...
.
Rank Insignia
The rank insignia for a vice admiral usually involves three stars, but this is not always the case. In the navy of Iraq, vice admiral insignia involves one star. In the navies of
Azerbaijan,
Bangladesh,
China,
Cuba,
Iran,
Mexico,
North Korea, and Russia, vice admiral insignia involves two stars, and in the navy of Turkey, vice admiral insignia involves four stars.
Australia
In the
Royal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, the rank of
vice admiralVice admiral is the second-highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British rank of vice admiral. It is a three-star rank...
is held by the
Chief of NavyThe Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence...
(currently Vice Admiral
Russell CraneVice Admiral Russell Harry "Russ" Crane AO, CSM, RAN is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Navy, who served as the Chief of Navy from July 2008 until his retirement in June 2011.-Background:...
) and, when the positions are held by navy officers, by the
Vice Chief of the Defence ForceThe Vice Chief of the Defence Force is the military deputy to the Chief of the Defence Force of Australia, and acts as the CDF in his absence under standing acting arrangements....
, the Chief of Joint Operations, and/or the Chief of the Capability Development Executive (currently Vice Admiral
Matt TripovichVice Admiral Matthew John Tripovich AO, CSC, RAN is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Navy. He served as Chief of the Australian Department of Defence's Capability Development Group from 2007 until his retirement in October 2010....
).
Vice admiral is the equivalent of
air marshalAir marshal is the second highest active rank of the Royal Australian Air Force and was created as a direct equivalent of the British Royal Air Force rank of air marshal, it is also considered a three-star rank...
in the
Royal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
and
lieutenant generalLieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....
in the
Australian ArmyThe Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
.
Canada
In the Canadian Navy, the rank of vice-admiral (VAdm) (
vice-amiral or
Vam in
FrenchFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) is equivalent to
lieutenant-generalIn the Canadian Forces, the rank of lieutenant-general is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a vice-admiral of the Navy. A lieutenant-general is a general officer, the equivalent of a Naval flag officer. A lieutenant-general is senior to a major general or rear-admiral, and junior to a general or...
of the Canadian Army and Canadian Air Force. A vice-admiral is a
flag officerA flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
, the naval equivalent of a general officer. A vice-admiral is senior to a rear-admiral and
major generalMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
, and junior to an
admiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
and
generalA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
.
The rank insignia of a Canadian vice-admiral are:
On the visor of the service cap are two rows of gold oak leaves.
On service dress jacket shoulder straps, on slip-ons and on gold shoulder boards, vice-admirals wear three gold maple leaves, beneath crossed sword and baton, all surmounted by a St. Edward's Crown.
a) From 1968 to June 2010, the service dress jacket also featured a wide strip of gold braid around the cuff.
b) Since June 2010, with the return of the executive curl on service uniforms (and not just on mess uniforms), the cuff insignia is one large gold braid below two standard size gold braids, the superior one includes the executive curl.
Vice-admirals are addressed by rank and name; thereafter by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am". Vice-admirals are normally entitled to a
staff carA staff car is a vehicle used by a senior military officer, and is part of their country's white fleet. The term is most often used in relation to the United Kingdom where they were first used in quantity during World War I, examples being the Vauxhall D-type and Crossley 20/25.Staff cars are...
; the car will normally bear a flag, dark blue with three gold maple leaves arranged one over two.
A vice-admiral generally holds only the most senior command or administrative appointments, barring only
Chief of Defence StaffThe Chief of the Defence Staff is the second most senior member of the Canadian Forces, and heads the Armed Forces Council, having primary responsibility for command, control, and administration of the forces, as well as military strategy, plans, and requirements...
, which is held by a full
admiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
or
generalA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
. Appointments held by vice-admirals may include:
- Vice-Chief of Defence Staff
The Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff is the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces.-List of Vice Chiefs of the Defence Staff:*1964 to 1966 - Air Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Earle...
(VCDS);
- Deputy Chief of Defence Staff
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the second most senior member of the Canadian Forces, and heads the Armed Forces Council, having primary responsibility for command, control, and administration of the forces, as well as military strategy, plans, and requirements...
(DCDS);
- Commander of an operational command (such as Canada Command
Canada Command is one of the seven commands of the Canadian Forces. Stood up on February 1, 2006, it is responsible for all domestic operations and national security missions; as an operational command, it works closely with the environment commands Canada Command (CANADACOM) (in French :...
);
- Chief of the Maritime Staff (CMS);
- Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of Defence in various capacities;
- commander of, or representative to, a multinational force, alliance, or treaty organization.
Charles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
holds the honorary rank of vice admiral in the Canadian Forces.
France
In
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
,
vice-amiral is the most senior of the
ranks in the French NavyThe rank insignia of the French Navy are worn on shoulder straps of shirts and white jackets, and on sleeves for navy jackets and mantels....
; higher ranks,
vice-amiral d'escadre and
amiral, are permanent functions, style and position (in French
rang et appellation) given to a
vice-amiral-ranking officer. The
vice-amiral rank used to be an OF-8 rank in NATO charts, but nowadays, it is more an OF-7 rank.
The rank of
vice-amiral d'escadre (literally, "
squadron vice-admiralSquadron vice-admiral is an Anglicisation of a naval rank found in some navies of the world. The squadron vice-admiral, which could also be accurately translated as fleet vice-admiral, leads a squadron and is typically senior to a vice-admiral and junior to an admiral.This anglicisation is not...
", with more precision, "fleet vice-admiral") equals a NATO OF-8 rank.
In the
ancien régime Navy, between 1669 and 1791. The office of "Vice-Admiral of France" (
Vice-amiral de France) was the highest rank, the supreme office of "Admiral of France" being purely ceremonial.
Distincts offices were :
- 1669-1791 Vice-admiral of the West (Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
).
- 1669-1791 Vice-admiral of the East (Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
).
- 1778-1791 Vice-admiral of the Asian and American Seas (American shores).
- 1784-1788 Vice-admiral of the Indian Seas (Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
).
Philippines
In
PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, the rank vice admiral is the highest ranking official of the
Philippine NavyThe Philippine Navy is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, literally, "Sea Force of the Philippines"....
. He is recognized as the flag officer in-charge of the Navy. The rank vice-admiral in the Philippines, has the same ranking in the U.S Navy.
United Kingdom
In the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
the rank of vice-admiral should be distinguished from the office of "
Vice-Admiral of the United KingdomThe Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office generally held by a senior Royal Navy admiral. Despite the title, the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is usually a full admiral. He is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an honorary office vested in the Sovereign from...
", which is an
AdmiraltyThe Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
position usually held by a retired "full"
admiralAdmiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
, and that of "
Vice-Admiral of the CoastThe holder of the post Vice-Admiral of the Coast was responsible for the defence of one of the twenty maritime counties of England, the North and South of Wales, or the four provinces of Ireland....
", a now obsolete office dealing with naval administration in each of the maritime counties.